News

Meeting America's Competitive Challenge

Norman Augustine to present lecture at the National Science Foundation

September 7, 2006

On Sept. 13, 2006, Norman R. Augustine--retired chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation, National Academy of Engineering member and chair of the committee responsible for the eye-opening Academies report Rising Above the Gathering Storm--will present a lecture entitled Meeting America's Competitive Challenge at the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Part of the 2006 NSF Directorate for Engineering Distinguished Lecture Series, Augustine's remarks will confront the impact of emerging trends in innovation and U.S. science and technology sectors and the shifting funding for U.S. research and development (abstract follows below).

Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. Members of the media are asked to RSVP and to arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of the lecture. Media should contact Josh Chamot in the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs (jchamot@nsf.gov; (703) 292-7730). For additional information, contact Radhakisan Baheti, NSF program director in the Power, Controls and Adaptive Networks (PCAN) program (rbaheti@nsf.gov; (703)-292-8339).

The standard of living which most Americans have come to enjoy is highly dependent upon their having quality jobs available to them. The ability to create such quality jobs has, in turn, become increasingly dependent upon America's ability to maintain a leading position in science, technology and innovation. The government's share of investment in R&D has declined in recent years while business' share of investment has increased - however, business has generally focused on development activity rather than research. The consequence is that the nation's eminence in research, which underpins most innovation, is highly dependent on government financial support. Although America's present competitive position is one of considerable strength, many important trends are moving in a perilous direction. Absent significant change, America's competitiveness - and the standard of living it underpins - is likely to deteriorate significantly.

Biography

Norman R. Augustine was raised in Colorado and attended Princeton University where he graduated with a BSE in Aeronautical Engineering, magna cum laude, an MSE and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, Tau Beta Pi and Sigma Xi.

In 1958 he joined the Douglas Aircraft Company in California as Program Manager and then Chief Engineer. Beginning in 1965, he served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as Assistant Director of Defense Research and Engineering. He joined LTV Missiles and Space Company in 1970, serving as VP, Advanced Programs and Marketing. In 1973 he returned to government as Assistant Secretary of the Army and in 1975 as Under Secretary of the Army, and later as Acting Secretary of the Army. Joining Martin Marietta Corporation in 1977, he served as Chairman and CEO from 1988 and 1987, respectively, until 1995, having previously been President and COO. He served as President of Lockheed Martin Corporation upon the formation of that company in 1995, and became its CEO in January 1996, and later Chairman. Upon retiring from Lockheed Martin in August 1997, he joined the faculty of the Princeton University School of Engineering and Applied Science where he served as Lecturer with the Rank of Professor until July, 1999.

Mr. Augustine served as Chairman and Principal Officer of the American Red Cross for nine years and as Chairman of the NAE, the AUSA, the AIA, and the Defense Science Board. He is a former President of the AIAA and the Boy Scouts of America. He is a current or former member of the Board of Directors of ConocoPhillips, Black & Decker, Procter & Gamble and Lockheed Martin and is a member of the Board of Trustees of Colonial Williamsburg, a Trustee Emeritus of Johns Hopkins and a former member of the Board of Trustees of Princeton and MIT. He is a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and the Advisory Board to the Department of Homeland Security and was a member of the Hart/Rudman Commission on National Security. He is a member of the American Philosophical Society, the Council on Foreign Affairs, and a Fellow of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Mr. Augustine has been presented the National Medal of Technology by the President of the United States and has five times been awarded the Department of Defense's highest civilian decoration, the Distinguished Service Medal and has received the Joint Chiefs of Staff Distinguished Public Service Award. He is co-author of The Defense Revolution and Shakespeare In Charge and author of Augustine's Laws and Augustine's Travels. He holds 19 honorary degrees and was selected by Who's Who in America and the Library of Congress as one of the Fifty Great Americans on the occasion of Who's Who's fiftieth anniversary. He has traveled in over 100 countries and stood on both the North and South Poles.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2016, its budget is $7.5 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 48,000 competitive proposals for funding and makes about 12,000 new funding awards. NSF also awards about $626 million in professional and service contracts yearly.